I've been trying out FMQ for the past year but I don't seem to be improving. First thing first, I never get the thread tension right. I either get loops at the front or the back. I'm using a Janome 6260 and I've tried every single tension from 0 - 9 but nothing works. Even tried varying the machine speed, foot pedal tension etc but still at a dead end.

I find it rather hard to move my quilt sandwich under the machine. Sometimes it gets stucked, causing a huge ball of thread forming underneath! What has gone wrong?

The worst is, I can never get even stitches. They are either too short or too long. Can't seem to be able to move my quilt at an even speed. Even tried drawing out my design from a quilt stencil but somehow, I just can't follow the design! Jagged curves, uneven lines etc.

I don't think I can ever succeed with FMQ, despite trying on lots and lots of practice sandwiches. Maybe I should really just call it a day and stick to my walking foot. :(

Sorry for all these ranting...I need to let off steam!

It certainly is challenging! Sorry I don't have any pointers but am not very good myself.

I heard it takes practice, practice, practice, please don't give up

yes, it does take practice, practie, practie but you can't improve if you are practicing the wrong moves over and over. Since you are far far away, I would try and contact someone in the Education Dept of your sewing machine company. Explain your location and your problems and try and set up a diaogue with them.

Is your dealer close by? If so, take your machine in and have them help set the correct tension. If not, rethread the machine carefully, use the same thread in the top as the bobbin. Make sure you have threaded the bobbin correctly. Next, use your manual and set the machine for regular stitching. If you can get it back to regular stitching mode with the correct tension it will make things easier. In your manual, look up Free Motion Quilting. Read what it says to do. It might be that you need the blue bobbin that Janome makes for FMQ. There is also a Yahoo Jonome Board, you might find help there. There have been other posts on this board for your very same problem. Do a search for it. Hope this will help some. I'll try and find more info for you.

I feel your pain! I always go back to hand quilting.

This website might help.
www.content.janome.com/fusetalk/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=9&thread=3784

You mentioned that the quilt is hard to move and gets stuck sometimes. What foot are you using and can you release the pressure on your foot? I helped someone recently and found she didn't have the right foot on her machine and was having the same type problem.

I don't have a Janome and frankly I am not that great at free motion but the main thing that has helped me is this:

Just make up a bunch of 12 inch quilt sandwiches and practice on those. What I did was used some old muslin and batting scraps. To begin I drew a stipple pattern and followed that. Then I drew other patterns and followed over and over. This will also help you to figure out what you need to do for your tension and such.

I would definitely check my needles and thread as well. My Bernina is sometimes finicky with the thread. Thread that I piece with sometimes does not work as well with the FMQ. I'm not sure why but check that out as well. Also, don't forget to give your machine a good cleaning as well. Sometimes lint and dust can cause problems as well.

Good luck and don't give up! Before you know it you'll be over this hurdle. :)

Oh, please don't scare me ... I'm just getting used to straight line quiling and want to move onto FMQ!!!!!

***covering ears to not hear the negatives***
while being a fly on the wall, to hopefully pick up some tips on the how tos. My plan is to do a bunch of Mug Rugs for my practice sessions!

Are you using a walking foot? That might help.

Lanny

Umm, Lanny, aren't walking feet for straight line quilting? Shouldn't the foot for FMQ be a darning foot?

Yes, you need a darning foot or an open toed embroidery foot. Also, make sure the feed dogs are in the down postition. It sounds to me like this is the problem. Another thing is to get a straight stitch needle plate. It only has a round hole for the needle to go into instead of the wider hole of the zig-zag plate. What happens with the zig-zag is the thread gets pulled away from the race when you move it sideways in FMqing. The single small hole of the straight stitch plate eliminates this problem.

I have the same machine and haven't had to adjust the tension. I usually use the same thread in top and bobbin, but do use invisible thread on top and reg cotton on bottom with no problems. At first it was a little frustrating and by no means is my FMQ show quality but it is passible. No matter what I tried I couldn't stop the eyelashes on the back and that's when my LQS owner/dealer told me that a single hole plate would make a huge difference .......and it certainly did! The stitches are getting more uniform and no more eyelashes :)

Don't know if it applies to your machine, but some can reduce the pressure in the foot and that can also help. Check to see if yours is adjustable.

OOPS ... was on reading posts, and accidentally posted!

Please, please, go to daystyle.com and then her blog.(Leah Day) She has the best, most minute instructions for free motioning quilting on any machine. Sometimes the smallest things can make such a difference. I am no expert, but have been able to FMQ several quilts using her method. My largest so far was 80x80. Am just getting readyto start quilting another one. Don't give up. I use an older Pfaff, maybe 5 years old. I don't do anything with the tension. Just drop the feed dogs, don't even have to change the stitch size because I am moving the fabric.

It can be very frustrating. I've been trying to learn it too. I have good days & bad days. I hope you are using FMQ gloves. There's a tute on the board about making a table around your machine. That helps with the drag on the quilt. And I found that some times with the tension it's not the machine, but the thread. I was using some cheap thread & it was really a loopy mess on the back. Don't give up.

I hope you can find someone else who quilts and perhaps they can visit and help you figure out why you are having so many problems. Don't give up, maybe take a break from trying it for a while. Hugs,
Kat

I was going to suggest this, and someone beat me to it!! The address is www.daystyledesigns.com/articles. I found this so helpful, and Leah answers emails too!!

Are you using a darning or FM foot(spring in it)? Are your feed dogs dropped down or covered? I do not have the same machine but you may also need to adjust your bobbin tension screw if your machine has one.
I hope you can figure out a way to proceed but if not, there is nothing wrong with using your walking foot and straight stitching.

Good to know that your machine is working well for you! Thanks, I will try to get a single hole plate if that is really the problem. Can you share with me the thread tension u used with FMQ? How about the foot pressure? I left mine at 2 or 3. Did you use a blue bobbin which everyone else is talking about?

Thanks. I've been following her tutorials and YouTube videos. But I gotta admit that most of her FMQ designs, though listed as for beginners, are too complex for me! Nonetheless, will continue to try.

Thanks Kat. That is the problem, I don't have any other friends who quilt! LOL. Singapore doesn't have that many quilters around, unlike the US. Perhaps I should make a trip down to the LQS and seek my teacher's advice.

Do go seek advice at the LQS. And invest in the straight stitch plate with the single hole. You will be amazed at the improvement. I promise!

Currently using a darning foot with the feed dogs down. I've done everything I could but can't seem to overcome those problems. At times it's ok, and at times things just go haywire. Perhaps it's really the problem with the Janome which some people have been talking about on this forum.

I've asked the service centre about adjusting the bobbin tension but they've advised me against it, as I would need to readjust it back when I change to regular sewing.

Thanks for your advice. I will call up my service centre tomorrow to check on the straight ditch plate with the single hole and maybe the blue bobbin case.

Yeah I've tried to change the pressure in the foot too, but still having problems. :(

I'm using the darning foot. Had tried to adjust the foot pressure too but it's not helping. I noticed however that when I changed the bobbin to move in the clockwise position, it helps to improve the situation. But I still see loops at the bottom and threads with irregular tension at the top (some are ok, some are a little loose). For straight line stitching using the walking foot, the anti-clockwise position does a better job.

Thanks. My service centre is quite far away and I don't drive. When I brought it in a few months ago for servicing, I had highlighted to them the problem with FMQ. They just put everything on auto tension and it works fine! Even using invisible thread on top. Was using my own thread and their darning foot then. They then suggested it might be my darning foot problem. However I've checked my own darning foot, it looks perfectly fine and I don't think there's anything wrong with it?

Does your bobbin case have a red dot or a blue dot on it? I only found out recently that Janome has a FM bobbin case and it has a blue dot on it. I invested in it and WOW what a difference it made. Other than that, practise is the only advice I can give. Good Luck!

Mine's the original one that comes with the machine, so I don't think it's the one with the blue dot. Can't find any blue or red dots on the bobbin case. Heard so much abt the blue bobbin case, guess I'll need to buy that to try it out, hopefully that solves my problems.

What needle size is recommended for FMQ? I'm currently using 90/14. The lady at the service centre has recommended me to try the blue tip needle. Has anybody tried this? I'll give it a try later to see if it helps.

When we prepare practice sandwiches, do we use the same fabrics we are using for the actual quilt? If they are all 100% cotton, I guess it doesn't really matter? I sometimes find it quite wasteful using good quality fabrics for practice sandwiches.

We never stop improving with this process so I hope you will not give up. I was too frightened to begin, as I didn't want to wreck what I thought were nice quilt tops. I practised on charity quilts mostly and now get asked to do quilting for other people. I'm really complimented that these folk think my quilting is good enough that they ask and pay me to do the quilting for them. There was a time when I thought this wouldn't happen as well!
Just practice for a short time every day, and not for such a long period that you get really frustrated with it. There has to be some fun sewing thrown in there as well. Why not start on another top that you can alternate so that you are having success from time to time?

Did you put in a new needle? Take the machine apart (as much as you are sure you can put it back) and clean every part as much as you can. Worked for me on a Brother.

good luck i have not tried FMQuilting but hope you get the problem solved soon

Not everyone is able to master the machine quilting process. I don't think I have ever heard anyone say it's a piece of cake It truly is hard work.
Bernina made it a lot easier when they introduced the stitch regulator on #440 machine. If you are close to a dealer go try it out it will make a world of difference.
Sign up for a quilting class before you give up.

I talked to someone about FMQ and they said you want to have a flat surface to work on. ONe of those tables to put up to your bed of your machine.
or an old cabinet that you can set your machine down in and have a flat surface.

I think you meant ...
http://www.daystyledesigns.com/